01:45am – Vatican City offices of Cardinal Rafael Luigini

A phone rings. It’s an old style black heavy set phone with the old brown encased wire. It rings again. It’s the old style ringer which causes the dust to fall off as it shudders. ring…ring…. It hasn’t been touched in years. It’s in keeping with the rest of the office that is damp, dark and quiet. ring… ring... Silence between rings in the darkness.

A shuffling cassock moves swiftly and smoothly over the carpet of the long hallway leading to the office of the ringing phone. ring… ring… The Rosary swings in his hand which in turn is attached to a large key which sits uncomfortably in the hand of the Cardinal that carries it. He moves silently down the hall with small hurried steps, as he approaches the door he hesitates, key in hand, poised at the lock but not inserting the key …listening hoping he had made a mistake, hoping he hadn’t heard the phone.

ring.. ring... From behind the door. He thrusts the key into the lock and turns it swiftly. The old lock bolt turns with a thud back into its housing in the door. He grasps the dusty gold handle and pushes the door open. Stale air pushes past him into the hallway . The dim light from the hallway illuminates a large desk in the middle of the office. He moves silently to the phone in the semi-light, his hand hovers above the hand piece of the phone. ring…he picks up the phone and slowly and with a slight shake in his hand, brings the receiver up and holds it just away from his ear, he says nothing just listens. Silence..then he hears a breathless voice on the other end of the line…”They have found it”…..click, and the caller hangs up.

The Cardinal slowly replaces the receiver. He stands, silently for a minute. Trying to comprehend the magnitude of the call he had hoped he would never take, not in his life time.

He leans across the desk and switches on the old lamp. The bulb flickers and the dim light from the dusty bulb illuminates the leather topped desk. The Cardinal still with key in hand, moves slowly from behind the desk and approaches the door. He pushes the door closed and returns the key to the lock and locks the door. He leaves the key in as the rosary swings he returns back to the desk. He is muttering under his breath, words from his learning, holy words. He moves slowly behind the desk, his hand steadies himself and he pulls at centre draw. The draw reveals a bundle wrapped in a purple cloth. He places the bundle on the desk and folds back the material and reveals a smooth black .45 pistol. He grasps it in his hand and raises the gun to his head and pulls the trigger.